John Silveira honored as Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital's nurse of the year

After more than three decades of caring for the sick at Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital, John Silveira got a dose of his own medicine on Monday.

In an emotional ceremony at the hospital, the 34-year nursing veteran was honored as Nurse of the Year in recognition of a career spent comforting the seriously ill and dying, just a month after he was diagnosed with cancer.

Lauded as a "compassionate, caring, gentle soul," 54-year-old Silveira brought the crowd to its feet when he was announced as this year's honoree.

Weakened by chemotherapy treatment, he nonetheless assured the assemblage that "my body's not as strong as it used to be, but my mind and spirit are strong," and delivered an upbeat acceptance speech celebrating the honor of being a "nurse working at the bedside of dying or suffering" patients.

He compared a nurse's work to a fireman's, with nurses "running in with our hoses of medicine," and related his efforts to lift his patients' spirits through humor — "as powerful as an antibiotic, a smile."

Afterward, Silveira was surrounded by well-wishers — many of them clad in Hawaiian shirts and leis at his request to celebrate the "simple Aloha spirit" he brought to his work at a place he called the "Hawaiian Hilton."

Fellow nurse Libby Brice, who was also nominated for the award, said Silveira was the overwhelmingly obvious choice for the annual honor, adding that it was "way overdue." Brice led a petition effort aimed at ensuring Silveira won that gathered 200 signatures. She helped start a raffle drive for Silveira and his wife, Julie, that has raised $5,000 to help with medical expenses. The raffle, which includes a one-night stay at the Monterey Plaza hotel, closes Friday at noon.

During an interview before the ceremony, Silveira called nursing the "most rewarding" experience of his life, and "to get paid" for it was simply a bonus.

The ultra-popular Silveira started his career at Salinas Valley in 1979 as a certified nursing assistant in the Intensive Care Unit, and worked in several of the hospital's specialized care units during the 34 years since. He earned his registered nursing certification from State University of New York at Albany in 1998 and spent five years as a clinical instructor at Hartnell College's School of Nursing through last year.

Silveira is perhaps best known for the massive scrapbook he has kept since he started work at the hospital, which marks the highlights of his years at Salinas Valley Memorial from patients' thank-you cards and letters to commendations and evaluations.

Brice said Silveira is well-known for his habit of choosing an inspirational quote or passage from the book to share with fellow nurses at the start of each day.

Silveira said he believes nursing is akin to the clergy, and said he believes it is important to "deal with the mind and body and soul."

In top physical shape for most of his life, Silveira began walking or riding a bike to work at the hospital a year after being hired. He said he set physical challenges for himself — running the Big Sur marathon at the age of 40 and skydiving for his 50th birthday.

Things took an unexpected turn on April 1 when he was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, a glandular cancer that started in the gall bladder and spread. He said the diagnosis occurred only after he had ignored the symptoms for some time, and he urged others to seek a physician's help immediately if any warning signs present themselves.

"Sometimes you get slapped up-side the head," he said. "Don't wait to get help."

Also Monday, surgery tech Lisa Cook was named the hospital's employee of the year.

The hospital is celebrating National Nurses Week and National Hospital Week this month by honoring its top employees.